As children go back to school, we’re putting pressure on Congress to ensure they all have safe drinking water.
According to a 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) survey, only 43 percent of school districts tested for lead in drinking water. Of those, more than 37 percent found dangerous levels of lead. No amount of lead is safe. Possible lead exposure in schools and facilities is a significant health concern — especially since growing children can absorb more lead than adults.
We shouldn't have to worry about whether the water in schools is safe for children to drink. But the current bipartisan infrastructure plan in Congress provides no funding to schools to address unsafe water.
Luckily, bold legislation was reintroduced earlier this year to address this issue. The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act would expand a grant program to replace all lead piping and plumbing in public schools, dedicating $1.1 billion a year to schools.
Since peaking in 1977, federal funding for water infrastructure has been cut by 77 percent (through 2017). This slash in funding is unconscionable. WAY too many people can’t drink or bathe in the water coming from their taps. Meanwhile, utilities continue to raise rates. This is truly a national crisis.
We need significant federal investment in our public water infrastructure to keep children safe, prioritize our communities, promote climate resilience and ensure public water for all.
In addition to dedicating $1.1 billion a year to update water infrastructure in public schools, the WATER Act reinvests federal dollars to provide a total of $35 billion annually to drinking water and wastewater improvements and will:
Create up to 1 million jobs across the economy and protect workers;
Prioritize disadvantaged communities with grants and expand technical assistance to small, rural and indigenous communities; and
Help homeowners replace lead service lines, remove PFAS from drinking water, and upgrade household wells and septic systems.
All of us deserve clean drinking water. It’s our most basic human right. Together, we CAN save our water for future generations and fight for communities across the country.
Food & Water Action and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Watch, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate.
This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control. We're excited to keep working together to make an impact! But if you need to, you can
adjust your preferences or unsubscribe.
